Ski boot toe fixture

ABSTRACT

A ski boot toe fixture is provided in which an engaging member and means for urging the engaging member forwardly is contained within a recess formed in the front tip portion of the sole of a ski boot. The engaging member is partially projected beyond the front tip of the boot sole and is pressed and fitted against a rear surface of a boot toe receiving member secured on a ski. The rear surface of the boot toe receiving member has concave or convex means for normally preventing said engaging member for moving laterally.

United States Patent [191 Mochizuki [451 Apr. 10, 1973 [54] SKI BOOT TOE FIXTURE [75] Inventor: Yoshinari Mochizuki, Itabashi-ku,

Tokyo, Japan [73] Assignee: Hope Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo,

Japan [22] Filed: June 8, 1971 [21] Appl.No.: 151,004

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data June 10, 1970 Japan ..45/49542 June 11, 1970 Japan.... ...45/49857 July 1, 1970 Japan.... ...45/57960 July 2, 1970 Japan ..45/58164 52 US. Cl. ..2s0/11.3s R [51] Int. Cl ..A63c 9/08 [58] Field of Search ..280/1 1.35 D.,1 1.35 T, 280/1 1.35 R

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1971 Smolka et a1. "286/1135 D FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 2/1964 France. "2 80/1135 Y 10/1929 Switzerland ..280/1 1.35 D

Primary Examiner--Kenne'th l-l. Betts Assistant Examiner-Milton L. Smith AttorneyE1iot S. Gerber ABSTRACT A ski boot toe fixture is provided in which an engaging member and means for urging the engaging member forwardly is contained within a recess formed in the front tip portion of the sole of a ski boot. The engaging member is partially projected beyond the front tip of the boot sole and is pressed and fitted against a rear surface of a boot toe receiving member secured on a ski. The rear surface of the boot toe receiving member has concave or convex means for normally preventing said engaging member for moving laterally.

4 Clairm, 9 Drawing Figures PATENTE APR' 1 0191s SHEET 1 0F 2 INVENTOR. Yoshi/1mm Maw/2m PATENTEDAPRIOW 3.726.534

SHEET 2 OF 2 INVENTOR. Y SH/NAR/ NocH/zwo JZQZMzM/Q SKI BOOT TOE FIXTURE This invention relates to a ski boot toe fixture to be attached to a ski in cooperation with a boot heel bindmg.

Conventionally, a ski boot toe fixture is pivotally mounted on a ski and normally secures the toe of a skiers boot on the ski in cooperation with the boot heel binding. The toe fixture rotates, about its pivot, to release the skiers boot toe therefrom when an abnormal lateral thrust (stronger than a certain predeter' mined value) is applied to the boot toe.

In such conventional boot toe fixtures, many disadvantages have been experienced. Firstly, the boot toe fixture, rotatable about its pivot, secures the boot toe, with the toe rotatable about the boot heel as its center, when an abnormal lateral thrust is applied to the boot. Accordingly, the rotational radius of the boot toe is larger than the rotational radius of the boot toe fixture, so that a precise adjustment of the engaging force of the boot toe fixture is difficult and the structure is complicated.

Secondly, since the boottoe fixture is rotated to attain its releaseposition, it is required to manually reset the boot toe fixture to its normal boot toe engaging position or, alternatively, to provide an additional complicated structure by which the toe fixture is automatically reset from the boot toe releasing position to the boot toe engaging position.

Thirdly, since the boot toe fixture commences to rotate about its pivot, to release the boot toe only when a lateral thrust stronger than a certain value is applied to the boot toe, the boot toe fixture will not release the boot toe by an injurious twisting force. Such a twisting force comprises a lateral thrust and a backward thrust to urge the ski boot and the cooperating boot heel binding upwardly. But no release occurs unless the lateral thrust alone is stronger than the above-mentioned predetermined certain value. Such twisting forces are the main causes of fracture or sprain of the users foot and'ankle.

Fourthly, the known boot toe fixture only rotates in the lateral direction so that, when the cooperating boot heel binding is rotated in the vertical direction to release the boot heel, the toe fixture obstructs the faster release of the boot from the heel binding.

Accordingly, an objective of the present invention is to provide a ski boot toe fixture which is simple in structure and yet permits a precise adjustment of a boot toe engaging force. 1

Another objective of the present invention is to provide a ski boot toe fixture which, when used in cooperation with a backwardly slidable boot heel binding, releases the boot toe with 'a lower lateral thrust in the event it is forced backward against the boot heel bind- Another objective of the present invention is to provide a ski boot toe fixture which releases the boot toe vertically in cooperation with a vertical rotation of a boot heel binding. v

According to the present invention, a ski boot toe fixture comprises a recess formed in the front tip portion of the sole portion of the boot, an engaging member movably held in said recess which projects at its front end beyond the front tip of the said boot sole, means for urging said engaging member forwardly, and

a boot toe receiving member fixed on a ski, said engaging member being pressed and fitted against a rear surface of said boot toe receiving member, said rear surface being opposite to the tip of said boot sole and having means for normally preventing said engaging member from moving laterally.

The aforementioned and other objectives and features of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of specific embodiments thereof, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a partially sectioned side view showing a ski boot toe fixture according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partially sectioned top plan view of the ski boot toe fixture of FIG. 2;

FIG. 3 is a sectioned top plan view showing main portions of a ski boot toe fixture according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a toe receiving member in a ski boot toe fixture according to a third embodiment of the present invention; 1

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a toe receiving member in a ski boot toe fixture according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a partially sectioned side view showing main portions of a ski boot toe fixture according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the toe receiving member in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a partially sectioned side view showing main portions of a ski boot toe fixture according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of the ski boot toe fixture of FIG. 8.

Referring to a first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, reference numeral 1 designates a ski boot toe secured on a ski 2 by a toe fixture, according to the present invention, and by a boot heel binding shown by dotted lines in the left hand in the figures. A boot sole 3, made of hard material such as hard plastic, has two parallel recesses 4 formed in the front tip thereof. Each recess 4 is round in front section and appears rectangular in cross-section. The recess 4 is threaded at its front inner portion 5 to which a cylindrical member 6 externally threaded is engaged and fixed. The cylindrical member 6 has at its front end an inwardly folded circular fiange and contains therein a steel ball 8, a compression spring 7 and a plug 9. The steel ball 8 has a diameter larger than that of the circular flange and is urged forwardly by the compression spring 7, so that the front portion of the steel ball 8 projects beyond the recess 4. The plug 9 closes the rear opening of the cylindrical member 6 and, by rotating the plug 9, the pressure of the spring 7 is adjusted.

A toe receiving member 10 having a rear vertical surface 12, opposed to the front tip of the boot sole 3, is fixed on the ski 2 by screws 11. The vertical surface 12 of the toe receiving member 10 is curved to conform with the contour at the front tip of the boot sole 3 and spaced from the boot sole 3 to allow the boot sole to rotate about the boot heel. The vertical surface 12 of the toe receiving member 10 protrudes vertically at its center portion 13. On both sides of the protruded center portion 13, the steel balls 8 cannot pass beyond the protruded center portion 13 and, thereby, the boot toe 1 is set in its position.

When an abnormal lateral thrust is applied to the boot of a user, the boot fixed at its rear end by the boot heel binding, receives the thrust and rotates laterally about the boot heel. Then, one of the steel balls 8 compresses its spring 7 and begins to rise on the protruded center portion 13 of the toe receiving member and passes beyond it .to release the boot toe 1 from the toe receiving member 10. Which steel ball 8 will pass beyond the center protruded portion 13 is determined by the lateral direction pressure applied to the ski boot.

By adjusting the pressure of the spring 7, the degrees I of the pressure of the steel ball 8 against the vertical surface 12 can be adjusted. Thereby, the degrees of engagement between the boot toe l and the toe receiving member 10 can be adjusted. To adjust the above degrees, before threading the cylindrical member 6 into the recess 4, the plug 9 is rotated in the clockwise or counterclockwise direction to adjust the pressure of the spring 7. Then the cylindrical member 6 is screwed into the recess 4.

The toe fixture according to this embodiment has an advantage that, before engaging the .boot heel to the boot heel binding, the boot toe 1 can be engaged to the toe receiving member 10 from the top thereof.

In a second embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the boot sole 3 has a single recess 4 formed in the front center tip portion thereof. Instead of' the steel ball 8, as in FIGS. 1 and 2, an engaging member 8a, having a concave at its front surface, is provided. Normally, the concave is snugly engaged with a protruded portion 13a formed on the rear surface 12 of the toe receiving member ,10 along the vertical direction of the surface. In other remaining respects, this second embodiment is substantially the same as the first embodiment.

In a third embodiment shown in FIG. 4, a boot toe receiving member 10 is provided at its rear vertical surface 12, opposite the tip of the boot sole 3, with a transverse curved plane portion 14, concave plane portions 15,- and a vertical protrusion 13b communicating with the transverse curved plane portion 14 and separating the concave plane portions 15 into two. In this embodiment, a boot sole such as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is engaged to the toe receiving member 10 with both steel balls pressed and fitted onto the concave plane portions 15 respectively. According to this embodiment, any vertical play which may occur in the first and second embodiments, with a relatively small upward thrust, is eliminated by the transverse curved plane portion 14 which projects beyond the concave plane portions 15.

In a fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 5, a boot toe receiving member 10 is provided at.its rear surface 12, opposite to the tip of the boot sole, with upper and lower transverse curved plane portions 14, and transverse concave grooves 15a separated into two by a vertical planeportion 13c communicating with the curved plane portions 14. The steel balls are normally held by spring pressure in the concave grooves 15a, which are semi-circular shaped, viewed in side section. The engagement of the boot toe and other remaining respects jected slightly beyond an upper boot toe portion 1. The boot sole 3 is provided in its front portion with upper two recesses 4 and lower two recesses 4a, each being 7 rectangular in side section and round in front section.

These recesses 4 and 4a are parallel with each other and form a rectangular arrangement when seen from the front of the boot sole 3. Provided within each recess is a cylindrical member 6, a steel ball 8, a compression spring 7, and a plug 9, these assemblies and operations being the same as those disclosed in the first embodiment. In order to snugly receive the front projected portion of the steel balls 8 and 8a, a boot toe receiving member 10 is provided at its rear surface 12 (opposite to the tip of the boot sole 3) with four concaved semispherical holes 16 and 16a each aligned with an associated recess, as shown in FIG. 7.

According to this embodiment, the boot toe is firmly engaged to the toe receiving member 10 by four steel balls 8 and 8a engaging by spring pressure in the semispherical holes 16 and 16a. If desired, upper and lower engaging forces between the boot toe 1 and the toe receiving member 10 can beadjusted by changing the pressure of the springs 7 and 7a in the upper and lower recesses 4 and 4a, respectively.

In a sixth embodiment shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, an upper horizontal flange 17 projects rearwardly, beyond the rear surface 12 of a toe receiving member 10, and

holds the upper tip portion 3a of a boot sole 3. The toe receiving member 10 is provided at its rear surface 12 with two concave semi-spherical holes 16 arranged in parallel in the transverse direction thereof. Steel balls 8 are urged forwardly within a cylindrical member 6 and are normally engaged with the spherical holes 16. Other assemblies and operations are substantially the same as those in the first embodiment, except that the boot toe cannot displace beyond the upper horizontal flange 17 of the toe receiving member 10 even when an abnormal severe upward thrust is applied to the boot toe 1.

In the boot toe fixtures according to the present invention, constructed as disclosed above, the structures are very simple and are manufactured at low cost. Above all, when the present toe fixtures are used in cooperation with a boot heel binding which is slidable backwardly in response to the severe backward thrust applied to the boot, they are very advantageous to prevent injuries, such as sprain and fracture of the foot which slightly forces back the boot and the boot heel binding, is applied to the users boot, the pressure of the engaging members (such as steel ball 8 or 8a) against the rear surface 12 of the toe receiving member 10 is weakened, so that the boot toe is released from the toe receiving member 10 by a smaller lateral thrust in the twisting force.

In addition, the troublesome operation of the conventional toe fixtures, in which the toe fixture, once displaced to its release position, has to be reset manually to its engaging position, is eliminated in the present toe fixtures.

Furthermore, when a boot heel binding which is vertically rotatable to release the boot heel is used in cooperation with the present toe fixtures (shown in FIGS. 1 through 7) the boot toe 1 is also released upwardly from the toe receiving member in response to the upward thrust applied to the boot toe.

' alterations may be made within the spirit and claims of the present invention.

" lclaim: v

' 1. A ski boot toe fixture'comprising four recesses arranged'in the vertical and horizontal directions in the front tip portion of a boot sole, spherical engaging members each movably held in said recess and projecting from its front end beyond the front tip of said boot sole, means for urging each of said spherical engaging members forwardly, and a boot toe receiving member secured on a ski, said spherical engaging members being normally pressed against a rear surface of said boot toe receiving member, said rear surface being norm'ally positioned opposite to the tip of said boot sole and'having four semi-spherical concave recesses with which said four spherical engaging members are normally engaged.

2. A ski boot toe fixture including'a boot having a sole, comprising at least two recesses longitudinally arranged in' the front tip portion of said boot sole, engaging members each movably held in one of said recesses and projecting beyond the front tip of said boot sole, means for urging each of said engaging members forwardly, and a boot toe receiving member secured on a ski, said engaging members normally being pressed against a rear surface of said boot toe receiving member, said rear surface being normally positioned opposite to the tip of said boot sole and having upper and lower transverse plane portions connected with each other by a vertical plane portion and having a concave or convex portion for normally preventing said engaging member from moving laterally, said vertical plane portion defining concave grooves, said engaging members being guided along said grooves when one of said engaging members passes beyond said vertical plane portion.

3. A ski boot toe fixture as claimed in claim 2, wherein said boot toe receiving member has a rearwardly extending upper flange which holds the front tip portion of said boot sole.

4. A ski boot toe fixture as in claim 2 wherein each of said engaging members is a spherical member. 

1. A ski boot toe fixture comprising four recesses arranged in the vertical and horizontal directions in the front tip portion of a boot sole, spherical engaging members each movably held in said recess and projecting from its front end beyond the front tip of said boot sole, means for urging each of said spherical engaging members forwardly, and a boot toe receiving member secured on a ski, said spherical engaging members being normally pressed against a rear surface of said boot toe receiving member, said rear surface being normally positioned opposite to the tip of said boot sole and having four semi-spherical concave recesses with which said four spherical engaging members are normally engaged.
 2. A ski boot toe fixture including a boot having a sole, comprising at least two recesses longitudinally arranged in the front tip portion of said boot sole, engaging members each movably held in one of said recesses and projecting beyond the front tip of said boot sole, means for urging each of said engaging members forwardly, and a boot toe receiving member secured on a ski, said engaging members normally being pressed against a rear surface of said boot toe receiving member, said rear surface being normally positioned opposite to the tIp of said boot sole and having upper and lower transverse plane portions connected with each other by a vertical plane portion and having a concave or convex portion for normally preventing said engaging member from moving laterally, said vertical plane portion defining concave grooves, said engaging members being guided along said grooves when one of said engaging members passes beyond said vertical plane portion.
 3. A ski boot toe fixture as claimed in claim 2, wherein said boot toe receiving member has a rearwardly extending upper flange which holds the front tip portion of said boot sole.
 4. A ski boot toe fixture as in claim 2 wherein each of said engaging members is a spherical member. 